Automatic switch.



W. SCRIBNER.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH;

APPLICATION mm DEC. :4. 1915.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIOE.

WALTER SCRIBNER, or COLUMBUS, OHIO, assrenon 'ro nnvrn M. rrrz, or worm n- INGTON, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

Application filed December 14, 1915. Serial No. 66,695.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVAL'rnR SCRIBNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Columbus, county of Franklin, and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a switch adapted to be automatically thrown to reverse positions by the action of means movable in reverse directions.

My improved switch is particularly adapted for use to maintain constant polarity of current at the brushes of generators driven by spindles or axles revoluble in reverse directions, as in railroad cars or other vehicles. In the usual practice in car electric lighting, storage batteries carried by the car are charged by a generator driven from the car axle. As the current must pass through the storage batteries from the positive to the negative poles to charge them, it is essential that the polarity or direction of the battery charging current be constantly maintained. By my improvements, there is effected the automatic regulation of the direction of the current through the fields of a direct current generator, whose armature maybe operated in reverse directions, so as to maintain the desired constant polarity of the current at the generator brushes when the armature is rotated in either direction and thereby maintain constant polarity of current at the battery terminals.

It will be understood, however, that the switch is adapted for more general use, as, for instance, the control of circuits for signaling at a distant point, the direction of travel of a moving part or parts.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, compact, positively acting and inexpensive automatic switch adapted for the foregoing uses, and in which there is no contact between the switch blade mechanism and actuating member excepting when the switch is thrown from one position to another.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevz. tion of mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of the same with the switch blades in the position opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end View of the switch with the blades in the position shown in Fig. 1; Fig. L is a transverse sectional view of the actuator on the line 4.4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the actuator on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view illustrating details of the construction; and Fig. 7 is a plan View of the actuator cam block and ball.

As shown in the drawings, a base 1, of suitable insulating material, has therein the recess 2 and thereon the terminals 3, 8, 1, '1 and 5, 5, the latter also providing bearings for the switch lever.

Conducting levers or blades 6, 6 are pivotally connected with the respective bearings 5 and 5 by the pintles 7 and 7, and are fixed together by the insulating block or connection 8. An arm 9 is fixed to this connection and pivotally connected to a bolt 10 which is movable through a bearing 11 journaled in the base, the parts forming a toggle disposed in the recess 2. A coiled spring 12 is disposed on the bolt 12 between its head and the bearing 11 to throw and hold the toggle extended when the connection has passed the dead center and thereby hold the levers 6 and 6 in engagement with the respective contacts 3, 3 and 4, 1.

The block 8 has connected therewith ofiset lugs or fingers l3 and 13 on opposite sides or" the fulcrum 7, by which the levers 6 and 6 are moved from their normal positions and the toggle carried past its dead center to effect the throw described.

A block 14, carried by a reversely movable member 15, contains longitudinal slots 16 and 16 adapted to register with the respective lugs 13 and 13, and a cam way comprising the terminal sections or pockets 17 and 17 which register with the respective slots 16 and 16, the central longitudinal section 18, and the inclined end sections 19 and 19 connecting the respective sections 17 and 17 with the ends of the section 18.

A ball 20 is freely movable in the cam way or channel.

In operation, with the parts of the device in the relation shown in Fig. 1, when the member 15 is moving in the direction of the arrow, the ball 20 in the pocket 17 engages the lug l3 projecting into the slot 16 and moves such lug so as to rock the switch blades 6 and 6 until the toggle has passed the dead center position, when the spring 12, which has been compressed by this movement, expands and throws the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby moving the lug 13 out of the orbit of the ball 20 and at the same time moving the lug into the slot 16. While the member 15 continues to revolve in the direction of the arrow, the ball remains in or adjacent to the pocket 17 and as the lug 13 has been thrown by the spring beyond the orbit oi the ball there is no engagement between the parts. When, however, the member 15 is revolved in the opposite direction, the ball 20 rolls through the raceway sections 19, 1S, and 19 into the pocket 17, projecting itself partly into the slot 16 and in the plane of the lug 13, and in the course of revolution of the part 15 engages the lug 13, whereby the switch is again thrown to the position desired, resulting in the reversal of the direction of current through the field windings of the generator, and thereby maintaining constant polarity at the brushes of the armature.

Fig. 6 indicates the wiring of the s itch for use in maintaining constant polarity of current. As shown in this figure, the terminals 3 and l are connected by a conductor 21; the terminals 3 and l are connected by a conductor 22; the terminal 3 has a conductor 28 connected therewith; the terminal 4, has a conductor 2 lconnected therewith; the terminal 5 has a conductor 25 connected therewith; and the terminal 5 has a conductor 26 connected therewith.

With the switch in the position shown in Fig. 1, current or positive polarity flowing through the conductor 25 passes through the terminal 5, blade 6, terminal 3, and conductor 23, through field of the generator in one direction, through conductor 24, terminal l, conductor 2:2, terminal 3, blade 6, terminal 5, and conductor 26 to the negative brushes, completing the circuit.

W hen, however, the switch is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2 current or" positive polarity flowing through the conductor 25 passes through the terminal 5, blade 6, terminal l, and conductor 2a, through the generator field in the opposite direction, and through the conductor 23, terminal 3, con-- ductor 21, terminal a, blade 6, terminal 5, and out through the conductor 26 to the negative brushes, thus again completing the ircuit.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a switch, of means com rising a journaled member con taining a channel having relatively offset sections intersected by parallel planes .nsverse to the axis of said journaled member, and a rolling device freely movable in said channel for throwing said switch.

2. The combination wita a switch having relatively offset parts for operating it, of means comprising a rotary member containing a way provided with relatively oilset pockets, and a ball movable into and out of sa d pockets by the rotation of said member in opposite directions, for engaging said parts and throwing said switch.

3. The combination with an oscillatory switch mechanism having offset operating parts intersected by parallel planes transverse to the axis of oscillation, of a journaled member movable relatively to said switch and containin a plurality of offset pockets intersected by parallel planes transverse to the axis of said journaled member, and a ball movable into the respective poclo ets by the movements of said member in reverse directions, said ball being adapted for engaging said parts and throwing said switch in correspondence with the movements of said member.

a. The combination with a switch having operating members adapted to move in different planes, of an actuator adapted to move in reverse directions, said actuator having a way and a rolling device movable in said way by the opposite movements of said actuator into the respective planes of said members, whereby said switch is operated.

5. The combination with a switch having a plural ty of members disposed in different planes, of an actuator having a plurality of pockets corresponding with said 1nembers, a cam-way connecting said pockets, and a ball movable through said way into said pockets, said ball being adapted to enter a pocket and engage one of said members upon the movement of said actuator in one direction and to pass through said cam-way into the other pocket and engage another of said members upon the movement of said actuator in the reverse direction.

6. The combination with a switch having plurality of members disposed in different planes, or an actuator having a plurality of pockets corresponding with said members, a cam-way connecting said pockets, a ball movable through said way into said pockets, said ball being adapted to enter a pocket and engage one of said members upon the movement of said actuator, and means for throwing said engaged member out of the path of said ball.

7. The combination with switch comprising a fulcrumed blade having connected therewith a plurality of lugs and a toggle mechanism, of an actuator containing a channel, a rolling device movable in said channel into position for engaging one of aid lugs upon the movement of said actuin one direction and into position for engaging another of said lugs upon the movement oi said actuator in another direction, said toggle mechanism being movable past dead center position by the engagement of said device with either of said lugs, and means for throwing said toggle when it has been moved past dead center.

8. The combination with a switch comprising a fulcrumed blade having connected therewith a plurality of lugs, of an actuator having therein grooves adapted to receive said lugs, recesses registering with the respective grooves, a way connecting said recesses, a ball movable through said way into said recesses, said ball being adapted for engaging and moving a lug disposed in the groove which it intersects, and means for moving said lug out of the path of said ball.

9. The comblnation with a switch comprising a plurality of contacts, a pair of fulcrumed blades pivotally connected with contacts aforesaid and adapted to engage other contacts aforesaid, and offset lugs connected with said blades, of a reversely movable member containing grooves for passing said lugs, pockets registering with the respective grooves, a channel, inclined ways connecting the respective pockets with said channel, and a ball movable through said channel and ways into the respective pockets.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name this 8th day of December, 1915. WALTER SCRIBNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

